Society & Politics

Myths About Britain I Hate Hearing

So, on my online travels I've met users from around the world, and I always find it interesting to hear what they think about Britain- I've read posts on various websites about what people across the world think about Britain. And many times it is very false. Some myths are more serious than others and I've lived in Britain (England to be specific) my whole life, so I'm writing this...

Myth #1 UK Is Just England

All the British Flags
All the British Flags

So many times on various websites, I see people refer to "Britain" and the "UK" as just "England" and it bugs me! Like:

Person 1: "Oh *scottish actor* is British"

Person 2: "He DoEsN't HaVe aN English AcCenT"

No... But that doesn't mean he isn't British... People need to understand that the UK is made up of:

Scotland, Wales, and Northen Ireland as well as England!

Don't leave my Scottish, Welsh, and Nothern Irish folk out!

Myth #2 We All Are Royalists

Queens Crown
Queen's Crown

Once I was discussing with some American dude why I don't support Trump, and he thought:

"MwHaHaHa I kNoW hOw To GeT bAcK aT tHiS bRiT... I'lL iNsUlT tHe QuEeN! ThAt WiLl EmOtIoNaLlY wOuNd HeR fOr DaYs!! MoNtHs!! ThE rEsT oF hEr LiFe! DoEsN't MaTtEr If WhAt I sAy Is fAcTuALlY iNcOrReCt!"

Yeah, the truth is not all of us are huge royalists... I mean I don't despise the Queen or the Royal Family or anything, but at the same time I don't have all their pictures up on my wall, and I didn't attend Harry and Meghan's wedding...😂😂

Point is, I don't care for them too much and most people around me don't either. Sure, when they do good things, I'll support that- or if they're just on the news I'll see what they're up to- but I don't make a huge fuss about them.

Myth #3 We All Speak With Posh Accents

Again, this is another rumour which probably stems from that people believe:

UK = England

Now sure, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will have their posh people- but in lots of parts, they're not posh.😂

And speaking about England specifically... Yeah, come to the North and you'll be sure to hear our "posh" accents up here (not)😂

Myths About Britain I Hate Hearing

Myth #4 We're All Financially Rich

I see people online assume that because I'm from Britain that must mean I am rich.

No honey, no.

Today I have £2 in my purse, I don't have over 3 digits in the bank and I'm sat here contemplating whether I should just get £5 out from the bank and go to Greggs and get a £1 vegan sausage roll, with a cuppa tea also for £1... If you're wondering why I don't just spend my £2- I might need that to give to my brother tonight for his boxing class, and it's better than giving him change, than a £5 note, which he might lose the £3 change.

I know I'm better off than many people in other countries, but that doesn't mean I can flex like those rich kids on Snapchat😂

All jokes aside, many people in Britain are having to choose whether to eat or to pay for central heating, the amount of people visiting foodbanks is increasing, more than 4 million people are in poverty according to some studies, child poverty is increasing... It's really sad that in any country, we face these issues. And Britain is a first world country.

I'm all for helping those in third world countries it is good to help people in third world countries, a charity came to our school last year offering a trip to Kenya to help build houses and stuff. I didn't go, because I'd feel bad for asking my parents for money- but 4 of my friends managed to raise the money between them, and get some off of their parents and they went- and that's cool. They didn't gloat, or say how "good" they must be, they just took a few pictures and shared it on Instagram- that's it.

But I see so many rich people who gloat about how "good" it is to go help people in third world countries and how "good" they must be. But the same rich people don't bat and eyelid at the people in poverty in Britain- in fact I've seen many dismiss it and play the issue of poverty in Britain down immensely.

And I sit somewhere and think: "How can they on one hand claim to care about poor people in third world countries, when they clearly don't care about the poor in their own country?"

I've seen a few who on one hand go to ✌️help✌️ the poor in third world countries, but at the same time they throw the word "peasant" around as if it's a joke.

My point is, they don't go to third world countries to help people- I feel like it's more of a vanity project if anything.

I don't mind the people who go to third world countries and help those people, with a genuine intention to help, like my friends did because while they did not raise all the money on their own, they worked really hard to go and they got people from our friendship group to help them with it too. But they don't downplay poverty in the UK, they don't mock the less fortunate than them in their own country.

Take the library issue for example, with the cuts. I was talking to one of my friends who went to Kenya and told her about the library issue. With her college being about 2 hours away, a lot of her time gets taken up in travel, then she has a load of work to do- so she can't go out and campaign like I can- but she understands why I am doing so, and supports me 100% one of the reason being we both know a lot of people who aren't as fortunate as us rely on the library.

Myth #5 Our Schools Are Immaculate

Posh school kids
Posh school kids

We're not all posh, private school kids. And our schools aren't always strict, and posh either.

My school had graffiti on the walls, was in millions £ in debt, lots of the times teachers didn't show up and we'd get supplies, and sometimes the supplies didn't even show up and we'd get no teacher. Even today in my morning class in college my teacher didn't show up and in college you just get to leave if she doesn't. I was actually happy about her not showing up, because the bus was 20 minutes late, and it takes 20-30 minutes to get to college, so I was really late, but that didn't matter because she wasn't here.

And not all students behave perfectly in class either. Sometimes at my secondary school kids would be extremely disruptive (I wasn't one of them I was a good child).

Point is, our schools and students aren't perfect.

Myth #6 We Have "Muslim No Go Zones" In Britain

Myths About Britain I Hate Hearing

See this makes me laugh. I wonder if people understand the term "no go zone" if not, a "no go zone" is:

"an area in a town barricaded off to civil authorities by a force such as a paramilitary, or an area barred to certain individuals or groups"

Now where I live has been referred to as a "Muslim No Go Zone". The town where my friends go to college has been referred to a "Muslim No Go Zone".

And it makes me laugh because they don't exist!!!

What people mean when they say "Muslim No Go Zones" is probably "Areas where there are lots of South Asian people, and South Asian shops."

And that's not a "no go zone" you might say:

"SpIdEy YoU'rE a MuSlIm iT dOeSn'T aFfEcT yOu!!!! >_<"

Firstly, you can't tell just by looking at me I am a Muslim. Just because I'm brown it doesn't make me a Muslim. I have brown friends which aren't Muslims. Assuming I'm a Muslim because I am brown is ignorant.

Secondly, my friend who went to Kenya? She's white. She walks alone in areas where there are lots of Asian people all the time, my best friend and her go to Asian shops (which are run by Muslims) they're not dead.

Many white people, walk in places where lots of Asian people live, and Asian shops- and nobody says anything to them.

Myth #7 Sharia Patrols Rule Britain And We Have Sharia Law

Myths About Britain I Hate Hearing

So, we had a few incidents regarding a few men who went around places like East London and Birmingham trying to impose Sharia Law. They had no legal authority to do so.

In Britain today- we don't have that. Not in any place that I know of. And if we did, they'd have no legal power to do so!

But people actually think Sharia Law rules Britain! And that we have Sharia patrols ruling the streets!

No! That's not how it is!

Today I walked to college wearing some legging-type tracksuit bottoms, a grey minnie mouse jumper, my hair down and out - clearly visible - with a little hat on top so it doesn't look messy and I was by myself on the bus and on the short walk- and I go on the bus and walk to college every day by myself, showing my hair, wearing either leggings, jeans, tracksuit bottoms, a jumper, a t-shirt, a top etc. And no Sharia patrol has ever stopped me or my friends to question us.

People don't care. To the people in my city, I'm just a student girl walking to college.

And I am a Law student- and "Sharia Law" isn't anywhere on our syllabus. We have "The English Legal System", "Criminal Law" "Tort Law" and "Contract Law"- not Sharia Law.

Myth #8 The Streets of Britain Are Dangerous and Unsafe For A Girl To Walk Alone

Myths About Britain I Hate Hearing

Another false rumour which I have heard on various websites. Some websites people are saying we need a group of males to walk us, some say we need a male escort, some say we shouldn't go out alone...

Hahaha, like most girls can get a group of males to "protect" them.

To the British girls, I don't know about you, but the guys in my life are pretty busy.

My dad - He's training for a new careerpath and will soon be at working, working late.

My brother - Is younger than me. I mean fair enough, he's just started boxing and all, but he's not exactly a pro-athlete just yet. And he's at school the majority of the time when I need to go out.

My uncles - I don't see them often, and they're working a lot.

My male cousins - Ones which live in my city... One is at sixth form in a completely different side of the city, the other is working, the other is still at secondary school- one has just got married and is working... So yeah they're busy too.

Male friends - Most go to a different college or sixth form. A couple go to the same college as me but we have different lessons most of the time, and I have a class with a couple, where we'll walk together sometimes on Wednesdays -they're not my male escorts, they're friends I'm walking with.

And I walk alone, quite happily. I can't rely on a dude to escort me everywhere, or friends that I can huddle in a group with- I have to walk by myself, go on the bus by myself to and from college everyday. And every single day I've been walking to and from college it's been okay- even when it's dark. Nobody has attacked me, or said anything to me.

And if people have the nerve to use the excuse "because you're a Muslim" "because you're a Pakistani girl" (which some have) firstly you can't tell I'm Muslim by looking at me, secondly, some people assume I'm Indian, Bengali, Jamaican (or just "black") or even mixed race some assumed half white half Asian, others assumed half black half Asian. And they usually get shocked when I tell them I'm Pakistani.

And my friends who are white and brown and one of Hong Kong descent travel to a different town every single working day and back and they are absolutely fine- none of them have died, or gotten hurt or harrassed. And they get home way after dark some days.

Obviously, we don't go out alone at night and stuff- but most of the time the streets of Britain are safe, and when people act like they're not safe, especially for women, are just fearmongering.

Any last words?

I'll probably get some money from the bank now, then head to Greggs- I'm really hungry. If not I'll just sit here and try and get filled up on my Capri-Sun lol.

Hope you enjoyed.

Thank you for reading! :) <3

Myths About Britain I Hate Hearing
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